Basso's Been Suspended!

Frigo's Luggage

I don't buy the argument that WADA and Operation Puerto should stop because they are sullying cycling's reputation. The sport has ruined its own reputation. The only way to make things better is to clean it up. I don't care if football/basketball/athletics are dirtier. Cycling is my sport and I don't like seeing these guys screw with it. If you think there is no problem, just consider this partial list:

Basso
Ulrich
Pantani
Landis
Heras
Museeuw
Camenzind
Casagranda
Garzelli
Aitor Gonzalez
Hamilton
Millar
Rumsas
Frigo
Vandenbroucke
Virenque
Zulle
Bruylandts
Armstrong

If you believe that Armstrong with his six positive B samples and Riis (ie, Mr. 61%) were doping, then the last 11 Tours were tainted by scandals involving the winner.

Nine of the last 11 Vuelta winners have failed tests. Six of the last 11 Giro winners have failed tests (excluding Simoni's two wins because he was cleared).

My solution is to provide amnesty to people who want to clean up the sport. Let people like Riis and Vaughters speak candidly without fear of getting banned. The UCI should also be removed completely from regulating anything to do with doping. The UCI is only concerned about the image of cycling. They have an inherant conflict of interest. First, they want to make it seem as if doping doesn't exist and are prone to overlook or deny problems. Second, if somebody does come clean like Basso, they refuse to give a lighter sentence and in effect encourage riders to deny their guilt.

I love this sport. I just don't plan on sitting around quietly while other deny the existence of a huge problem.

jcthomasjr

Well the news finally surfaced that Basso was indeed involved in what he calls "attempted doping". Sad and amazing, but that is reality. I don't know why "some" people with talent have to look for shortcuts or ways to one-up others. The beauty of sport is the competion. If the playing field is not level, meaning based on talent, dedication, preparation, luck, circumstances, etc., what is the point. Unlike some people, I will always follow cyling and continue to cycle myself because I think it is a beautiful sport, but these athletes who attempt to circumvent the system really do f@@k things up for themselves and for the sport. He may be a "champion" and have "courage" to some people, as stated in the VeloNews article, but the fact is he was looking to cheat in order to win.

__________________
Like each bike ride, life is a journey.

KellyT

Perhaps if what someone 'did wrong' involved repeatedly constructing false stories to evade being exposed, and basically lying through their teeth about what they had done, then it is maybe right to ban that person from practicing their chosen trade / sport. Less for the original mistake / crime and more for the obvious lack of any form of trustworthiness that the behaviour implies.

At least some of the riders (Millar) are willing to say 'okay I've been caught, I will have to take the punishment'. The preposterous, twisting, turning, tornado of 'creative scenarios' for the evidence, that have spouted from Basso, Landis and Hamilton et al, is not only bewildering (that they think anyone is going to believe that kind of crap) it devalues the individuals moral currency to precisely nothing.

violette

Why do they cheat...for the money!!! for the money!!! for the money!!! They almost all dope so if one decides not to dope, he doesn't have a chance in hell to win...and they want to win.

KellyT

Of course. Nothing could be more true. But if you take the risk, for the money, you know that you might get caught and suffer the consequence. It's less the cheating and the catching riders out that bugs me now, than the preposterous stories that are spun to try and cover up for it. As long as it's classified as being against the rules and they cheat, they should at least have the spine to face up that day when it happens.

Or better still, the testing regimes shall be made more efficient and they will all be forced onto a drug free 'level playing field'.